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𝐈𝐍 𝐏𝐇𝐎𝐓𝐎𝐒 | Moments of pride, achievement, and celebration as graduates crossed a significant milestone during the 23rd Commencement Exercises on May 28, 2026, at the Ormoc City Superdome.

🖋️: T.M. Ymas
📷: J.M. Tamse, T.M. Francisco, J.M. Morallos

“𝗞𝗮𝗽𝗮𝗴 𝗺𝗮𝗵𝗮𝗹 𝗺𝗼, 𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗵𝗮𝗵𝗮𝗹𝗮𝗴𝗮𝗵𝗮𝗻 𝗺𝗼. 𝗞𝗮𝗽𝗮𝗴 𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗵𝗮𝗵𝗮𝗹𝗮𝗴𝗮𝗵𝗮𝗻 𝗺𝗼, 𝗶𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗴𝗹𝗮𝗹𝗮𝗯𝗮𝗻 𝗺𝗼.”

𝐋𝐎𝐎𝐊 | The four corners of the Ormoc City Superdome reverberated with inspiration and conviction as Dr. Jayeel S. Cornelio, Director IV of the Science Education Institute under the Department of Science and Technology, delivered a meaningful and empowering message to the graduates of Class of 2026 — Batch Bahandi, today, May 28.

Dr. Cornelio left the graduates with three significant reminders anchored on dreams, unity, and social responsibility.

“𝗙𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗯𝗶𝗴𝗴𝗲𝗿 𝗱𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗺𝘀.”

He emphasized that dreams become greater when they are no longer centered on oneself, but are rooted in love for the people who matter most.

“𝗧𝗵𝗲𝘀𝗲 𝗱𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗺𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗯𝗶𝗴𝗴𝗲𝗿 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗯𝗲𝗰𝗮𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗳 𝗮𝗻𝘆𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲. 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝘀𝗲 𝗱𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗺𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗯𝗶𝗴𝗴𝗲𝗿 𝗸𝗮𝘀𝗶 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗮 𝗻𝗮 ’𝘆𝗮𝗻 𝘀𝗮 𝗺𝗴𝗮 𝗺𝗮𝗵𝗮𝗹 𝗺𝗼 𝘀𝗮 𝗯𝘂𝗵𝗮𝘆. 𝗕𝗮𝗸𝗶𝘁? 𝗞𝗮𝗽𝗮𝗴 𝗺𝗮𝗵𝗮𝗹 𝗺𝗼, 𝗶𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗴𝗹𝗮𝗹𝗮𝗯𝗮𝗻 𝗺𝗼.”

“𝗙𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿.”

He reminded the graduates that success is never achieved alone, as every victory is deeply connected to the sacrifices and unwavering support of the people who stood behind them throughout their journey, especially their parents and loved ones.

“𝗙𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗮 𝗳𝘂𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗻𝗼 𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗱 𝗶𝘀 𝗹𝗲𝗳𝘁 𝗯𝗲𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗱.”

Highlighting the realities of inequality in the country, Dr. Cornelio discussed how Eastern Visayas remains among the regions heavily affected by the learning crisis, alongside the BANGSAMORO and CARAGA regions.

He then challenged the graduates to use education not only as a privilege, but as a weapon against injustice.

“𝗣𝗮𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴𝗴𝗮𝗻 𝗻𝗶𝗻𝘆𝗼 𝗮𝗻𝗴 𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗯𝗶 𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝘀𝗮𝗻𝗴 𝗽𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗼𝘀𝗼𝗽𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗻𝗮 𝘀𝗶 𝗝𝗼𝗵𝗻 𝗗𝗲𝘄𝗲𝘆, ‘𝗜𝗳 𝗲𝗱𝘂𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗱𝗼𝗲𝘀𝗻’𝘁 𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘁𝗼 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗶𝘀𝘁, 𝗶𝘁 𝗵𝗮𝘀 𝗳𝗮𝗶𝗹𝗲𝗱.’ 𝗜 𝗵𝗼𝗽𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗲𝗱𝘂𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗶𝗻 𝗘𝗩𝗦𝗨 𝗵𝗮𝘀 𝘁𝗮𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘁𝗼 𝗳𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗶𝗻𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗲𝘀 𝘀𝗮 𝗯𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗮 𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻.”

Speaking not merely as a government official but as a Filipino, he emotionally expressed his hopes for a nation where no child is deprived of education because of an unjust system.

"𝗔𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗳𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗱𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗺𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿, 𝘂𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗴 𝗻𝗮 𝗹𝗼𝗼𝗯, 𝗽𝗹𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗲 𝗱𝗼 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗴𝗲𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗳𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝘂𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗻𝗼 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝗹𝗲𝗳𝘁 𝗯𝗲𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗱 𝗶𝗻 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗿𝘆 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗜 𝗺𝗲𝗮𝗻 𝗶𝘁. 𝗣𝗹𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗮𝘆 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗮 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗿𝘆 𝗻𝗮 𝘄𝗮𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗴 𝗯𝗮𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗴 𝗺𝗮𝗽𝗮𝗴-𝗶𝘄𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗻 𝗸𝗮𝘀𝗶 𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗱𝗶 𝘀𝗶𝘆𝗮 𝗺𝗮𝗿𝘂𝗻𝗼𝗻𝗴 𝗺𝗮𝗴𝗯𝗮𝘀𝗮. 𝗣𝗹𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗲 𝗳𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗮 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗿𝘆 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗻𝗼 𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗱 𝗶𝘀 𝗹𝗲𝗳𝘁 𝗯𝗲𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗱 𝗸𝗮𝘀𝗶 𝗶𝗻𝗶𝘄𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗻 𝘀𝗶𝘆𝗮 𝗻𝗴 𝘀𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗴 𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗱𝗶 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗮𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘂𝗻𝗴𝗮𝗻, 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁'𝘀 𝗺𝘆 𝗽𝗿𝗮𝘆𝗲𝗿 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗘𝗩𝗦𝗨."

As his words echoed throughout the Superdome, Batch Bahandi was reminded that education carries a responsibility not only to succeed, but to serve, resist injustices, and fight for a future built on hope and equality.

“𝗕𝗮𝘁𝗰𝗵 𝗕𝗮𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗶, 𝗳𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗯𝗶𝗴𝗴𝗲𝗿 𝗱𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗺𝘀, 𝗳𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿, 𝗳𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗮 𝗳𝘂𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗻𝗼 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝗹𝗲𝗳𝘁 𝗯𝗲𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗱.”

🖋️: A.J. Marquez
📷: T.M. Francisco
💻: T.M. Ymas, J. Labiste